They'd just ended another Occlumency lesson and Luna chattered away.
Harry wondered just why it was that she was so talkative after these
lessons as everyone walked back to their houses. He also wondered why out
of everyone there she always chose him to chat to without fail.
Luna tucked her wand back behind her ear. "You know, I wonder why they insist I take this class. I don't really mind it though. The only mind I can't break into is Dumbledore's, he had me try though. I'm quite skillful at Legilimency. Snape had a very unpleasant childhood. You don't really seem to be improving though. You need to learn how to clear your mind."
"Can't. Too much to think about," Harry muttered.
"Anybody can shut their mind. You just have to not think. Or rather, shut out all your emotions."
"How do you not think?" he asked.
"It's easy. Just don't concentrate on anything. Let your mind drift in a detached kind of way. I'll help you sometime. It just takes a bit of concentration."
"I thought you said not to concentrate!"
"It's a delicate balance of concentrating on not concentrating. It makes perfect sense."
"Not really."
"Yes it does. I'll help you sometime. Ravenclaws that way." She wandered off in the direction of her own house and Harry realized he was farther off the path to Gryffindor than he'd realized. He backtracked and finally found his friends several corridors ahead of him. He wasn't sure exactly why, but he always felt better after talking to Luna. He wasn't sure just what it was about her. She was strange, but in a kind of refreshing sort of way. She always seemed to surprise him, the most surprising thing being how often she made sense. Like with the regrets. Harry was working harder at letting those things go and he felt like a whole new person. He was happy with who was. He couldn't let everything go. He'd never like the Dursleys for what they put him through, being a stranger in what should have been his own home too. And he'd never forget or stop being sad about Sirius. But he'd be able to move on and that in itself was like a burden off his shoulders. There were of course still plenty of other troubles that Harry had, but at least this was one less to deal with.
When Harry reached the Tower he took out his homework and began to study. There'd be a potions test the next day and Snape would probably poison him.
* * * * * * * * ** *
Ginny approached Harry later in the week as he sat in the common, having just finished his Transfiguration assignment.
"Hey, Harry." She sat down next to him.
"Oh, hi, Ginny."
"What are you working on?"
"I just finished McGonagall's assignment. Brutal."
"What about that?" She point to another piece of parchment that clearly wasn't part of his transfiguration essay.
"A list of possible new recruits for the D.A. It's trickier now that the D.A.'s got a whole new purpose."
"Oh."
"Who would you say is the smartest student in your year?"
"Luna," she answered promptly.
"Luna? I know she's not stupid or anything, but . . . ."
"Luna," she repeated firmly. "She may not get the top marks in the year but she is the smartest."
"Well, a lot of what she says makes sense. Most of the time." He gave a wry smile, there were sometimes when Luna made absolutely no sense whatsoever.
"Oh, that's why I came over here in the first place." She reached into the pocket of her robes and pulled out a plain envelope made of parchment. She handed it to Harry and he saw that it had a wax seal, imprinted on the blue wax were two "L"s. "It's from Luna. And certainly something she didn't want anybody else reading but you."
"What makes you say that?" Sure it was a little strange to seal the letter like that when it was just going from one part of the school to another and a friend was delivering it. Okay, so it was more than a little strange.
"I was curious, so tried to open once she was around the corner. I figured it wouldn't make a difference 'cause you wouldn't expect a sealed letter anyway. I was wrong. Burned myself." Since coming over toward Harry she had kept one hand firmly in her pocket. She took it out now and Harry saw her bandaged fingers.
"Oh. Do they still sting?" He was slightly irritated at her for trying to read his mail, but he thought that depending on the situation he might have done the same thing.
"A little."
"Try essence of Murtlap. It works."
"Okay, thanks." She didn't leave.
"Did you want something else?" he asked.
"So there's no chance of letting me read it?" she asked, without much hope.
"Maybe later."
"She said that immediately after you finished reading it, the letter would burst into flames."
The suspense was building; he had to know why this letter had been so carefully guarded. "Well, then maybe I'll tell you what it said. But first I've got to know what it says."
"All right. I've got to now anyway. I'm supposed to be helping Colin with his homework. He's having trouble with Charms. Again." She shook her head and left.
Harry tore open the letter.
Harry,
I offered to help you with your concentration problems. Offer still stands. If you want help, come to McGonagall's room tomorrow night, 7:00 o'clock. Dumbledore and McGonagall approved it. If you're wondering about the reason I sealed and hexed this letter (I'm sure Ginny tried to open it) it's because I know you don't like to admit when you need help and you don't want others to know when you do admit it. You're afraid of being weak. Don't deny it because I know it's true. I'm sure Ginny's itching to know what's in the letter and I'm sure you didn't let her see it. It's up to you if you want to tell her. Or Ron or Hermione if they want help too. This letter will self-destruct after you read my name.
Luna Lovegood
True, to the words, as soon as Harry had read "Luna Lovegood" the paper burned but the flames never felt warm against his fingers. Even the ashes disappeared.
He saw Ginny looking at him expectantly from across the room. Harry wasn't sure why, but he shook his head. He wasn't going to tell her.
She shrugged and went back to helping Colin.
Luna tucked her wand back behind her ear. "You know, I wonder why they insist I take this class. I don't really mind it though. The only mind I can't break into is Dumbledore's, he had me try though. I'm quite skillful at Legilimency. Snape had a very unpleasant childhood. You don't really seem to be improving though. You need to learn how to clear your mind."
"Can't. Too much to think about," Harry muttered.
"Anybody can shut their mind. You just have to not think. Or rather, shut out all your emotions."
"How do you not think?" he asked.
"It's easy. Just don't concentrate on anything. Let your mind drift in a detached kind of way. I'll help you sometime. It just takes a bit of concentration."
"I thought you said not to concentrate!"
"It's a delicate balance of concentrating on not concentrating. It makes perfect sense."
"Not really."
"Yes it does. I'll help you sometime. Ravenclaws that way." She wandered off in the direction of her own house and Harry realized he was farther off the path to Gryffindor than he'd realized. He backtracked and finally found his friends several corridors ahead of him. He wasn't sure exactly why, but he always felt better after talking to Luna. He wasn't sure just what it was about her. She was strange, but in a kind of refreshing sort of way. She always seemed to surprise him, the most surprising thing being how often she made sense. Like with the regrets. Harry was working harder at letting those things go and he felt like a whole new person. He was happy with who was. He couldn't let everything go. He'd never like the Dursleys for what they put him through, being a stranger in what should have been his own home too. And he'd never forget or stop being sad about Sirius. But he'd be able to move on and that in itself was like a burden off his shoulders. There were of course still plenty of other troubles that Harry had, but at least this was one less to deal with.
When Harry reached the Tower he took out his homework and began to study. There'd be a potions test the next day and Snape would probably poison him.
* * * * * * * * ** *
Ginny approached Harry later in the week as he sat in the common, having just finished his Transfiguration assignment.
"Hey, Harry." She sat down next to him.
"Oh, hi, Ginny."
"What are you working on?"
"I just finished McGonagall's assignment. Brutal."
"What about that?" She point to another piece of parchment that clearly wasn't part of his transfiguration essay.
"A list of possible new recruits for the D.A. It's trickier now that the D.A.'s got a whole new purpose."
"Oh."
"Who would you say is the smartest student in your year?"
"Luna," she answered promptly.
"Luna? I know she's not stupid or anything, but . . . ."
"Luna," she repeated firmly. "She may not get the top marks in the year but she is the smartest."
"Well, a lot of what she says makes sense. Most of the time." He gave a wry smile, there were sometimes when Luna made absolutely no sense whatsoever.
"Oh, that's why I came over here in the first place." She reached into the pocket of her robes and pulled out a plain envelope made of parchment. She handed it to Harry and he saw that it had a wax seal, imprinted on the blue wax were two "L"s. "It's from Luna. And certainly something she didn't want anybody else reading but you."
"What makes you say that?" Sure it was a little strange to seal the letter like that when it was just going from one part of the school to another and a friend was delivering it. Okay, so it was more than a little strange.
"I was curious, so tried to open once she was around the corner. I figured it wouldn't make a difference 'cause you wouldn't expect a sealed letter anyway. I was wrong. Burned myself." Since coming over toward Harry she had kept one hand firmly in her pocket. She took it out now and Harry saw her bandaged fingers.
"Oh. Do they still sting?" He was slightly irritated at her for trying to read his mail, but he thought that depending on the situation he might have done the same thing.
"A little."
"Try essence of Murtlap. It works."
"Okay, thanks." She didn't leave.
"Did you want something else?" he asked.
"So there's no chance of letting me read it?" she asked, without much hope.
"Maybe later."
"She said that immediately after you finished reading it, the letter would burst into flames."
The suspense was building; he had to know why this letter had been so carefully guarded. "Well, then maybe I'll tell you what it said. But first I've got to know what it says."
"All right. I've got to now anyway. I'm supposed to be helping Colin with his homework. He's having trouble with Charms. Again." She shook her head and left.
Harry tore open the letter.
Harry,
I offered to help you with your concentration problems. Offer still stands. If you want help, come to McGonagall's room tomorrow night, 7:00 o'clock. Dumbledore and McGonagall approved it. If you're wondering about the reason I sealed and hexed this letter (I'm sure Ginny tried to open it) it's because I know you don't like to admit when you need help and you don't want others to know when you do admit it. You're afraid of being weak. Don't deny it because I know it's true. I'm sure Ginny's itching to know what's in the letter and I'm sure you didn't let her see it. It's up to you if you want to tell her. Or Ron or Hermione if they want help too. This letter will self-destruct after you read my name.
Luna Lovegood
True, to the words, as soon as Harry had read "Luna Lovegood" the paper burned but the flames never felt warm against his fingers. Even the ashes disappeared.
He saw Ginny looking at him expectantly from across the room. Harry wasn't sure why, but he shook his head. He wasn't going to tell her.
She shrugged and went back to helping Colin.